Packed full of flavour, while being quick and easy to make, this chimichurri sauce recipe is the perfect condiment for grilled meat.
This simple chimichurri sauce, or magic green sauce if you will, doesn’t require much skill in the kitchen. As long as you can locate the ingredients and add them to a blender, that is pretty much all you need to be able to do. I made this sauce of a more traditional style, but if you had other fresh herbs on hand, like mint or basil, you could certainly add those too.
What is Chimichurri Sauce?
Chimichurri is an uncooked sauce that is made of parsley, garlic, olive oil, oregano and red wine vinegar. Chimichurri sauce is traditional to Argentinean and South American cuisine and is commonly served with grilled meat. Although there are more traditional recipes, there are many variations of this simple dish.
How to Make Chimichurri Sauce
The best thing about Chimichurri sauce is that it’s incredibly easy to make. Here’s how to make chimichurri in three simple steps:
- Prepare Ingredients: Roughly chop the parsley and peel the garlic cloves.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the parsley, garlic, olive oil, oregano and vinegar to a blender.
- Blend Ingredients: Turn on the blender and purée until smooth.
That’s it! Once blended, chimichurri sauce can be served immediately, stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen for up to a month.
What to Serve with Chimichurri Sauce
- Grilled Steak
- Roasted Potatoes
- Grilled Vegetables
- Scrambled Eggs
- Shredded Chicken
- Steak Kabobs
The reason I love chimichurri sauce so much is that there are two major misconceptions when it comes to healthy eating; 1) eating clean means no flavour, and 2) creating flavour is really complicated.
Of course, slow-cooked, marinated and braised dishes are an amazing way to pack a lot of flavour into meals, but truth be told, we don’t always have time for that. And most of the time, we just need to get things on the table. I am not unlike anyone else; my life can get busy and hectic and making elaborate meals every night is absolutely not realistic. So a simple trick I like to do it keep pre-made sauces on hand so that when the time comes, I can whip a meal up really quickly. There are actually lots of store-bought sauces that you can buy that are very healthy (be it pestos, hot sauces, hummus, or dressings), however, I think making it at home is always the best option.
Simple Chimichurri Sauce
This chimichurri sauce calls for a specific combination of herbs, however, you can mix it up with anything you have on hand.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Cuisine: South American
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot
- 1 1/2 cup parsley or cilantro (or use a mixture), thick stems removed
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed chillies
- 2 tablespoon fresh oregano (or 1 tbsp. dried)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the parsley/cilantro leaves, garlic and shallots, and process until well minced.
- Add oregano, chillies, sea salt and red wine vinegar, and process for another 30 seconds.
- In small batches, add the olive oil until desired consistency is reached.
- You want the sauce to be velvety, but not runny.
- Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to one week.
- Serve with meats, potatoes or as a simple salad dressing.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 65 calories
- Sugar: 0 grams
- Fat: 7 grams
- Carbohydrates: 1 gram
- Fiber: 0 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
Amy Saunders says
My son wants to surprise his Argentinian girlfriend with a special dinner for her birthday and is thinking of cooking something native to her homeland. It’s good to know that chimichurri sauce can be served with so many dishes, including scrambled eggs. I’ll make sure he looks further into this article so he’ll purchase the right ingredients for the dinner later.